We always have new land opportunities coming into our inventory, some of which aren’t on our blog yet! Get in touch with a Land Matcher at bclmp@youngagrarians.org to learn about the latest opportunities and to access free B.C. Land Matching Program services in your region.
ABOUT THE LAND
On the outskirts of Lake Country overlooking Wood Lake, this beautiful turn-key blueberry farm is now available for lease!
The available farmland is around three acres, two of which are planted with blueberry bushes. Planted in 2019, there are currently 2,000 blueberry bushes on the property. The planted species are Blue Crop, Elliott, and Duke, which are early, mid, and late-producing varieties, respectively. The variation in the time of maturation between the species prolongs the growing, production, and marketing period. All three of these species have produced successfully in recent years (up to five pounds of berries per plant!) and are very tolerant of harsh winters.
The farming area is oriented along a west-facing slope close to the lake, 100 meters above the water level. The agronomic potential of the area is high, and the property is surrounded by neighbouring farming operations.
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY
This opportunity comes with space to grow and expand production! In addition to the two acres of blueberries, an additional acre may be available to the incoming farmer if they would like to expand the blueberry operation or plant other crops such as vegetables or melons. In the past, this extra space has successfully produced crops such as orchard nursery stock, corn, melons, and cantaloupes.
Each row of blueberries is installed with timer-controlled drip-line irrigation, while the other areas of the farm are outfitted with aerial irrigation posts. The blueberry rows themselves are post-and-wire with space to add an additional level of wire if desired. The incoming farmer may also have access to a locked storage shed for tools and other equipment, as well as a pitch-mount sprayer. The property comes with an irrigation licence supplied through the Regional District of Lake Country.
The entire farming area, including the vacant one-acre space, is surrounded by eight-foot deer fencing and is accessible through two main gates, one of which has direct road access. There is also space just inside the roadside gate for a farm stand, if the incoming farmer would like to install one and sell produce directly from the property!
ABOUT THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate for this operation would be experienced in farming, cultivation and irrigation, but can be new to farming blueberries. As there is no housing available on-site, the ideal candidate would have their own accommodations within a reasonable distance of the farm.
The incoming farmer may also need some of their own tools and equipment, although the harvesting of the blueberries is done by hand due to the slope of the property and size of the rows. The landholders live on-site and would be happy to share their knowledge of the land with the incoming farmer.
Turn-key farm operations don’t come along too often, so reach out now if you’d like to start or expand your own blueberry operation!
GET IN TOUCH!
This land is available through the B.C. Land Matching Program. If you are interested in this land opportunity, please contact the Okanagan-Thompson Land Matcher, Haley, at haley@youngagrarians.org with the link to this post, any relevant photos and a paragraph or two on each of the following:
- About you
- Your farming experience
- Your plans for the land
For more details, check out the UMAP Listing for this property.
To learn more about the B.C. Land Matching Program and other land opportunities, visit youngagrarians.org/tools/land.
The B.C. Land Matching Program is funded in the Okanagan-Thompson by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, with additional support from the Real Estate Foundation of BC.